Despite being ruined by the devastating wildfires in Paradise, California, one house was still being protected at all costs by one of its original owners: Ella the border collie. Ella was discovered protecting her home, possibly waiting for her owners, with her paws burned and injured. The dog’s owner, Leahna Copsey, left earlier in the day for a trip nearby expecting to be able to return home that evening but that wasn’t the case. Flames from the Camp Fire had engulfed her neighborhood and it wasn’t safe to return. “We did not get an evacuation order until 4 p.m. that day,” Copsey’s 24-year-old daughter Kayla Westman told PEOPLE. Even though the evacuation was unexpected, the family still had a plan in place just in case they were forced to leave. The plan included taking Ella with them no matter what, but this time that wasn’t possible. “As soon as my mom and sisters hit the main road, that’s when they realized how serious it was. They weren’t able to move,” Westman said.Westman said she and her mother kept calling animal control and local police to let them know that Ella was stuck at the house. Thankfully, authorities were able to keep tabs on the dog until someone could come get her. When animal control was able to enter the house, they found Ella standing watch over her home, which was the only house left on the block. “She was protecting it,” Copsey told Visalia Times-Delta. “She was protecting the only house left on the block.” Ella was taken to a nearby hospital and her paws were bandaged. “We were overjoyed to know that she made it through the fire,” Westman said. Of course, Ella isn't letting her injuries bring her down. Westman told People, “she’s wanting to play. She loves squeaky toys.” A GoFundMe was created to help pay for the cost of Ella’s vet bills but Westman said there has been a lot of negative feedback from people assuming Ella was abandoned. “When it comes down to it, Ella knows how much we all love her, and she loves us. And it was never a leaving a dog behind situation. We would never do that,” she said.

Despite being ruined by the devastating wildfires in Paradise, California, one house was still being protected at all costs by one of its original owners: Ella the border collie.

Ella was discovered protecting her home, possibly waiting for her owners, with her paws burned and injured.

Even though the evacuation was unexpected, the family still had a plan in place just in case they were forced to leave. The plan included taking Ella with them no matter what, but this time that wasn’t possible.

“As soon as my mom and sisters hit the main road, that’s when they realized how serious it was. They weren’t able to move,” Westman said.

Westman said she and her mother kept calling animal control and local police to let them know that Ella was stuck at the house. Thankfully, authorities were able to keep tabs on the dog until someone could come get her.

When animal control was able to enter the house, they found Ella standing watch over her home, which was the only house left on the block.

“She was protecting it,” Copsey told Visalia Times-Delta. “She was protecting the only house left on the block.”

Ella was taken to a nearby hospital and her paws were bandaged.

“We were overjoyed to know that she made it through the fire,” Westman said.

Of course, Ella isn't letting her injuries bring her down.

Westman told People, “she’s wanting to play. She loves squeaky toys.”

A GoFundMe was created to help pay for the cost of Ella’s vet bills but Westman said there has been a lot of negative feedback from people assuming Ella was abandoned.

gofundme: Ella vet bills

“When it comes down to it, Ella knows how much we all love her, and she loves us. And it was never a leaving a dog behind situation. We would never do that,” she said.